The Portland daily press., 1887-01-15
THE MAINE LEGISLATURE.
Not Much Business Transacted In
the Two Houses.
: .nIontest Between City and Country
LI.embers Regarding Time of
srb adjournment.
The Two Hos s Adjourn Until 4
O'Clock p, NJ. Monday.
Breezy Items Here and There About
Men and Things.
Especial to the Press,

AUGUSTA, Jan. 14.--IhlS has not been an
unusually busy day with the Legislature
The most noteworthy incident was contest
between the city and country members about
the S unday recess. The city members, who
can reach home by few hours ride in the
cars, like to take liberal vacation every
those from Aroostook. Washington, Penob-
scot and Franklin counties who are anxious
to do the business and 60 home, want to
work right up to the seventh day. So to-day,
when an order came in from the Senate fix
ing the adjournment from to-day to Tuesday
att II o'clock, there were loud murmers, and
the order was sent back to the Senate, the
House being unwilling to adjourn longer
than to Monday at II o'clock. But the SEN
ate refused to recede, and the aid of COM
mittee of conference was invoked. Senators
Libbey, Allen and Cole met Representatives
Talbot, Pettengill and Lyons in the lobby
and they finally compromised on Monday at
o'clock p. m. as the time of re-assembling
The city members go home this evening, the
country Representatives will kill time in
Augusta till Monday.
Proposed Taxation of Water Com
pany.
Mr.. Allen of Alfred introduced to-day a
bill providing that every water company
shall pay to the State Treasurer an annual
excise tax of not more than one-half of one
per cent. upon the fair value of the capital
stock, which shall be in lieu of all other
taxes upon the stock, franchies and property
of said corporation. The bill also prov ides
as to methods of assessment and payment of
such taxes.
The Lobster Law.
An act relating to Holsters introduced by
the member from Friendship, to-day, would
repeal all other lobster laws, do away with
close time altogether, make ten and one-half
inches the limit of length the year around,
and compel every fishermen TO have his
name marked on each of his traps
The Came Laws.
the game laws, is one from the town of
Wesley. Among the signers are ten men
named. Day, the name borne by Wilbur Day,
who is now in prison for burning the build
ings of Game Warden Munson. The name
of Fenlason is also prominent ON the petit
ton. They ask that chapter 80 of the Re-
yised Statutes know as the Game Law be
amended by repeating sections 1S and. 25 of
the chapter; also by providing that all fines
and penalties shall be IN proportion to the
offence and by providing that all fines, ETC.,
shall accrue to the State, which is supposed
to be an organization for the establishment
Of justice" and fourth by providing for the
execution of the law by the sheriffs and their
deputies alone. This petition probable ex-
presses very well the sentiment of certain
people of Washington county in relation to
the game laws. Similar petitions come from
Great Pond in Hancock county, and from
Lowell, in Penobscot county.
The Io-Hour Bill.
The committee ON labor met this afternoon
and arranged for hearing on the ten-hour
bill. This hearing viii undoubtedly be one
of the most interesting of the session. 1t is
believed that some of the corporations will
send able lawyers to present objections or
ask for notifications, Nhile on the other hand
the laboring men will probably have present
very strong array. The hearing is to be
held in the Senate Chamber on the after
noon of Jan. 28th. The 28th is the last day
of the Great Knight of Labor conclave
which is to be held in Augusta this month.
All the prominent Knights of Maine will be
pected. The indications are now that the
committee twin report the bill without
change. There are on the committee eight
Knights of Labor, and they all are under
stood to favor the bill.
Ellsworth Carriage Makers Excited.
By Mr.. Wiswell, of Ellsworth, several
petitions were introduced to-day from Els
worth carriage manufacturers asking that
something be done by the Legislature to
prevent the competition of State prison
goods. He says there is considerable excite
ment in Ellsworth.
Notes.
Messrs. Gushee, Looney, Lyons and Rob-
mittee on bill to establish bureau of labor
statistics.
On next Thursday the committee on inter-
nal waters will hear the petitioners who
want to alter the channel of Mousam river,
in Kennebunk. On the next Tuesday after
the case of those who are troubled by saw
dust in Damariscotta river will be heard.
Representative Cushing of Turner was
circulating in the House today a subscrlp-
tion paper for the relief of Solon Chase,
who has lost his home. Members were re-
spending literally.
The Rockland and Camden Water Com
pany have before the House bill to allow
them to take water from Hobbs and Fish's
Ponds.
Mr.. Condon's bill relating to the more
permanent employment of teachers, pro-
vides that the school supervisor or
committee may contract with teacher
for any length of time, provided
such person has served as a teacher in the
public schools at least year. Either party
may terminate the contract on notice, al
though If the teacher be inefficient he may
be dismissed without notice. The object Of
this bill is to secure greater efficiency in
teachers.
An act introduced today by Mr.. Harring-
ton of Norridgewock would amend the stat
utes so that either party to an absolute
divorce may marry again without the con-
unless two years shall have elapsed since the
divorce was decreed. Mr. Harrington says
that practically the present restriction
amounts to nothing as the court always
gives consent, so, he thinks, it would be as
we'll to relieve the court of the trouble.
There is likely to be smart fight in the
contested case of G. w. Scott VS.. John Scott,
for the seat of the Clifton class. G. w.
Scott is understood to have retained
Attorney General Baker, and John Scott has
retained Lawyer Spear of Hallowell. The
first fight will be before the committee on
elections.
The bill relating to the erection of court
house for Cumberland county, which came
from the last Legislature, has been referred
to the Cumberland county delegation. 1t
looks now as though it might go oyer to
another Legislature.
Mr.. Dickey's order for series of ques-
tions to be submitted to the Supreme Court
relating to the legality of charters for rail-
roads issued by the Legislature when the
same roads might be laid out by the general
law, is now tabled in the House to be
printed Mr.. Dickey wanted it to go to the
judiciary committee, but Mr.. Moore of
Deering advised substituting the committee
on railroads, and it was so referred.
Mr.. Looney's ten-hour bill has been
printed, and is favorite topic of conversa-
tion. There is considerable criticism of GER
tain features of it, but it is too early to say
whether any effective efforts will be made to
modify it.
A concurrent order was passed today
forming a committee to contract for the
printing, etc, of the Maine Year Book.
The committee is as follows: Senate-Lib-
bey, Phalr, Nickels; House, Jordan, War
ren, Hawkes., Purington, Eels, Lombard,
Weymouth.
The speaker announced that he had made
a mistake in making up the temperance CON-
mittee. In place of Mr.. Poole of Boothbay.
he wished to substitute Mr.. Newbert Of
Abbott.
GENERAL NEWS.